The Value of Christmas Jobs

The Value of Christmas Jobs

With less than a month to go, retailers are still looking to fill seasonal positions to help with the increased traffic through December and the January sales.

Whilst it may not be a permanent career choice, a Christmas job can help you to gain new skills, valuable experience and confidence, that will set you up for better job applications in the year to come.

Says Adam Michaelson: “With predictions already suggesting a bumper year for Christmas sales figures, especially with the increasingly popular Black Friday trading events continuing into December, most retailers are on an optimum recruitment drive to ensure they can keep up with demand.

“It really is a great opportunity to gain new transferable skills, meet new people and explore other career options. And when done well so you make a lasting impression for all the right reasons, temporary posts can provide a gateway to longer term opportunities.”

Some key top tips to maximise your Christmas position:

When applying, adjust your skills to highlight an ability to professionally create the festive spirit, with great customer service and communication skills
2. Don’t worry if you don’t have directly relevant work experience as you can draw on unpaid, academic or practical elements to provide evidence of your suitability for the role.
3. Make a lasting impression during your time in the job, by being a real time player and get along with colleagues – it will be duly noted!
4. Try and be flexible: Whilst full time employees will usually have first options on preferred hours and shifts, showing that you are willing to work longer hours will give you extra brownie points.
5. When your time is up in the temporary position, ask your employee if they would act as a referee, or provide a written reference (or both)
6. Add the temporary position to your CV, as it shows that you are constantly in employment and learning new skills along the way
7. Update your LinkedIn profile with your job description and what you have learnt from your seasonal job opportunity.

Adam concludes: “The best way to treat the Christmas work is as if it were a permanent role, where you want to make a good impression quickly and be seen as part of the team. Even if you don’t get offered a permanent position, they may still be future opportunities for someone that has stood out from the crowd. The company may recall you based on your hard work and this could lead to additional seasonal or permanent work.”